Finding the perfect career can be a difficult task. With so many opportunities and possibilities on the horizon, there are numerous paths to explore. But, then the question comes in: Do I follow my passion, or follow the dollar signs?
Passion is not, mind you, any easy road to a steady career — at least not at first. However, that doesn’t mean that there are no solutions. Just like the meaning of many terms and trends has changed over time, so does our perception.
For many people, finding any career that will provide them with more than the bare necessities can be difficult, especially when they are trying to fit their creative skills into a particular narrative or niche. However, one thing to truly consider is adapting your passion to fit your needs. You may be surprised at what you’ll find. Follow along with me.
Perception Shift
Basically, if your affinity doesn’t align with the current demand, you still have some options: go solo, go remote or turn to digital nomadism. Of the three, so many are freelancing these days that you’ll constantly be surrounded by creative minds and innovative thinkers. In other words, it won’t be difficult to be inspired by others.
Needless to say, even if you are a resourceful professional whose vocation is in demand, if your vocation isn’t aligned with your personality, you may have the possibility of earning an impressive income, but by no means will you be truly fulfilled.
So, what now? Well, what you’re actually looking for is a perception shift. In other words, how can you find a way to maintain that passionate feeling you have when working on a project you love, but still earn an income that will leave you feeling happy about your project, but not anxious about paying your rent?
For example, I am, through passion and the memories of a five-year-old with a notepad and her favorite pencil (with an eraser that smelled like strawberries), a writer. Thankfully, today, there are numerous ways to take that passion and transform it into a career.
While I obviously can’t write poetry all day or try my best to be the next Jack Kerouac, I can still use my skills for:
- Content writing
- Technical writing
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Social media
- Outreach
- SEO
- Digital PR
- HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
And the list goes on…
Satisfaction is one of the rare qualities that remains independent and, as such, doesn’t come with a price tag attached. Hence, if you work on changing your perception really hard, you should be able to at least find some hobbies that can be supported by income and which will, in turn, provide you with satisfaction. And with digital trends being what they are today, it makes it even easier to do so from home, the office or anywhere in between.
Leaders and Those Inspired
Certainly, there are as many dreams as there are people. Some of them are careerists and are perfectly fine with doing whatever it takes to make a living.
I like to believe, however, that there are still more people aware of the fact that the most important thing in life cannot be bought with money, and that enjoying one’s job for the mere sake of doing it is one of the ways to achieving true happiness.
Of late, much has been said about happy interns and miserable executives, and for a good reason. It is the mindset that determines the outcome of any action we undertake in life, and jobs are no different.
Some people like to lead others. For them, what they perceive to be success may come easier as they build a team and see successful outcomes.
Some people are inspired by the example their leaders set. They will find a job and strive to keep it so that they can befriend work colleagues and have a happy work environment.
Finally, there are people striving to shape the conditions into the direction that will allow them to squeeze in their own hopes and expectations and work hard toward making a place for themselves in the current state of affairs, on their own terms.
The only difference between all those people is — their mindset.
Remote Work
Remote work is one way to monetize your passion. You can either look for better job opportunities to fulfill their goals on the global market, run your own business or tap into the existing communities for hobbyists to go big.
Whatever you choose, you should know that it may take time before you establish steady practice and deepen your options. You need to be open-minded, a quick learner, and capable of taking risks as needed.
As mentioned above, digital nomadism is the closest thing to freedom there is these days. Talk about being the next Kerouac? You can literally grab your laptop and hit the road. How cool is that?
Remote work allows you to work from anywhere in the world, as long as there’s a stable internet connection for research, using your apps, sending email, managing your projects and such, so why not use the opportunity to go places (pun intended)?
Keep Learning
Just like the trends have changed, so has learning. Nowadays, there are more options available, primarily because many colleges and platforms are offering online studies and blended learning opportunities.
In short, this means that now you can study pretty much anything that interests you from (almost) anywhere in the world, which is good news for your career. It has become possible to change a career from the comfort of your own home and even do it while still retaining your current job.
This is one of the greatest benefits the brave new world has unearthed. If you have been working to make the ends meet because you didn’t see any other way, now may be the time to rethink your priorities.
Lessons From the Pandemic
If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is that nothing in this world is a certainty anymore. With even long-term jobs in jeopardy, there may be one more reason to give remote work or even starting your own business a chance. The time has come to create opportunities, rather than look for them to appear.
It is collective dreams, after all, that have brought humankind this far. And while we’re far from being perfect… our opportunities are endless.